US must match words with ‘concrete action’ for Xi-Biden San Francisco summit to happen, Chinese envoy says

‘A good host needs to avoid creating any new trouble’, Chinese ambassador Xie Feng tells Hong Kong forum, highlights ‘Taiwan question’

Ties still face ‘grave challenges’, Xie says, while US envoy Nicholas Burns flags ‘major differences’ left to resolve despite relative stability

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Chinese ambassador Xie Feng says it is important for China and the US “to work in the same direction”. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:39pm, 9 Nov 2023Updated: 1:10am, 10 Nov 2023

Corrected [11:39pm, 9 Nov, 2023]

[11:39pm, 9 Nov, 2023]
Some quotes underwent minor corrections to reflect the official transcript of the video address.

The United States must match words with “concrete actions” and stop “playing with fire” over Taiwan if it wants to clear hurdles to a much-awaited leaders’ summit next week, Beijing’s envoy to Washington said.

“The top priority for both sides is to make joint efforts towards a meeting between the two presidents in San Francisco, by removing disruptions, creating an enabling environment,” Chinese ambassador Xie Feng said in a video address to a Hong Kong forum on Thursday.

Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden are expected to meet on the sidelines when San Francisco hosts the annual Apec meetings starting on Wednesday.

Beijing has yet to confirm whether Xi will attend, though recent months have seen an uptick in reciprocal high-level visits viewed as laying the groundwork for an in-person summit.

Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali on November 14, 2022. Photo: TNS

“A good host needs to avoid creating any new trouble or obstacle – still less say one thing but do another,” Xie said in his keynote address to the Hong Kong Forum on US-China Relations hosted by the China-US Exchange Foundation.

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US must match words with ‘concrete action’ for Xi-Biden San Francisco summit to happen, Chinese envoy says

‘A good host needs to avoid creating any new trouble’, Chinese ambassador Xie Feng tells Hong Kong forum, highlights ‘Taiwan question’ Ties still face ‘grave challenges’, Xie says, while US envoy Nicholas Burns flags ‘major differences’ left to resolve despite relative stability

‘A good host needs to avoid creating any new trouble’, Chinese ambassador Xie Feng tells Hong Kong forum, highlights ‘Taiwan question’

Ties still face ‘grave challenges’, Xie says, while US envoy Nicholas Burns flags ‘major differences’ left to resolve despite relative stability